I had fun with this anthology and discovered some wonderful new authors and enjoyed stories from some I already know.

Check out my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Collective Ramblings

Volume One

by Various Authors

Genre: Anthology

My Review

I’m a fan of short stories and anthologies so I was excited to read this collection.

I’ll give you a few samples.

The first story, The Era of Super Weapons, was fun and packed with action. The super weapons were humans with extra powers, some an interesting combination of animal and human.

One such weapon, while on a mission, bumps into other super weapons, and that saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” couldn’t be more true when they come up against a deadly foe.

This was fun. My imagination took over, and I visualized how these super weapons would look. Action is fast and furious, and the ending invites you to want more. I’d continue with these characters if another story became available.

Next up was Heroes. A young man, comic book heroes, and an old man. What if the comic book legends were real? The writing was strong, and while the ending left me hanging, it did make me think, what if.

All Things Change was a strange little story about a girl living in a bubble. She’s locked in her house, surrounded by plastic, and it’s been days since her parents visited her. With no clue what’s happening outside, she invites a stranger in.

I would have loved to get more of this one. I knew something dramatic was occurring but was kept as isolated as the girl in her bubble. The ending left me scratching my head.

There’s a blend of several genres. Lots of different scenarios. And some fun characters too.

While I can’t say I loved all of these stories, I did enjoy their individuality and finished the collection wondering about several of them, and I’d read other stories by these authors.

You may not like all of these, but I’m sure there are some gems you’ll enjoy. From little nibbles to bigger bites, and four categories, there’s something for everyone.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

2015’s Twenty Short Story Contest winners assembled in one place. Five stories from each category (Super Powers, Deserted Island, Horror, and Labyrinth), including the top winners of each contest shown below.

The Era of Super Weapons – Roger, America’s super-soldier, embarks on what seemed a routine mission –until his enemies turn to allies against a horde revealing information that will turn the entire world on its head.

Synchronysi – A steampunk masterpiece. After her volunteer operation, a woman awakens to a world made entirely of tine crystals. As she travels the shining island, the product of her surgery reveals much more than she may be able to handle—neither the land of crystals nor the world from which she arrived are exactly what they seem.

Terrors Great and Small – A couple barricades themselves in their home to escape a viral outbreak carried by mosquito bites. As the days of panic and solitude stack up, they battle with both their own crumbling sanity and the terror of what really awaits them beyond their front door.

The Walls Are Alive – in a world where violent offenders are placed in a deadly, automated labyrinth—designed to let no one escape alive—the labyrinth’s caretaker steps inside for a routine maintenance. When the automation turns on him, he’s forced to run the maze like all the criminals he’s sent to their own demise.

From out in the hall, something big dropped from the ceiling, slamming its bulk into the door and knocking Simon against the desk. He quickly bounced back, throwing all his weight against the door, pushing it back. A terrible droning sound filled them all with a primal fear. It rose in pitch and volume as the door moved toward Simon. He pushed against it with all his strength, groaning as he gained and lost inches. Simon used the desk behind him as a brace, using his legs to add to the strength of his push. The door was closing. He was…winning.

He shouted in alarm as something grabbed the door from the outside. At first, he thought it was a stick, like a branch. It was segmented and moving, with bristling hairs, like thorns. He gave a greater push as the droning outside reached a terrifying whine. He was awestruck with horror when he risked a strained glimpse through the narrowing crack and saw a huge compound eye staring back at him.

Simon recoiled and the door opened a little wider. He could now clearly see the thing. It was neither a giant insect nor a man, but a ghastly amalgam of both. Torn and bloody flesh was a quivering, wet curtain beneath the bulging eyes. From behind the bleeding mess, a long and slender tube, like an exposed muscle, stretched toward Simon’s face. He almost wept when he saw, above those prismatic eyes, a tuft of shocking orange hair. The frantic beating of veiny, cellophane-like wings caused the droning. He could feel the wind of their beating and he could smell the stench of decay it blew off its own shredded flesh.

~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Just as it says, Collective Ramblings is a collection of various works, an anthology. In 2015, we completed our quarterly writing contests, each with its own theme. For each theme, the five best entries were selected from the contest to have their works published. All twenty stories have been compiled into this book for your reading pleasure. The four contest themes were:

Super Powers

Deserted Island

Horror

Labyrinth.

We know everyone will love these imagination-stretching stories, that are filled with suspense, bravery, and danger, as much as we did.

The authors will be awarding 1 print copy of Collective Ramblings: Volume 1,(international winner) or 2 ebooks (one of Collective Ramblings: Volume 1 and the second RRPI Book winner’s choice) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and winner’s choice of a t-shirt or print from their shop: https://www.teepublic.com/user/rrpi to a randomly drawn host.(US ONLY) Additionally, Goddess Fish Productions will be awarding a $5 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.